Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-06
FAMILIES ABOUT EUROPE.
From England to Egypt Especially for
the Eagle.
NO. VIII.
LONDON, Eng, June II, 1887.

| III COMPANY Will tHt correspondent u
the New York World and capitalist from
Chicago we paid visit to the American
exhibition. At considerable of an OUTLAY
buildings covering several acres of ground
have been constructed to accommodate mo-
only display of American manufacture
but Buffalo Bills mammoth Wild Wes
show, and institution greater than the
exhibition itself, of which it is an appen
dage. From the opening day of this won
derful show up to the present time vast
crowds have been attracted thither On
one day, with the best seats selling at five
dollars each, no less than sixty-four thous-
and people witnessed the performance
whic is held twice day rain or shine.
Buffalo Bill Hon. W. F. Cody of Nebraska
has taken the English people by storm. l
think I am perfectly safe in saying that no
American has met with the same favor in
the eyes of Londoners as he. The enter
tainment he gives dwarfs anything in the
show line l have ever witnessed He por-
trays to the life, as l have seen
it myself on our frontier, almost every
D base of frontier life Indian war fare,
elk and buffalo hunting, prairie schooners,
stage coaching in the Rockies, COW boy
life, racing, riding vicious mustangs and
many other things too numerous to men
ton. AS has with him over 100 Indians
of different tribes, number of COW boys
and Mexicans, besides some female riders
and shootists that would put Dr. Carver
on his mettle to beat them. His horses,
ponies and mules were all brought from
the United States and are first class. There
is not commonplace act performed in the
whole entertainment. have seen expert
riding in my day, but nothing that could
compare with the equestrian feats of these
COW boys and Mexicans. Cody himself is
no SLOUGH of rider, and his feat of break
ing two glass balls in the air with his rifle,
mounted and in full gallop has never yet
been surpassed. He gave special per
Torrance one day for the royal family and
the queen was so delighted that she came
down from her box and gave him her hand.
The amphither of this portion of the ex-
hibition is under cover, but the arena is all
open and affording circular race
course of about one third of
mile. Some accidents have been
caused by vicious, bucking ponies
Two of the best riders are laid up with a
broken leg. Among the celebrities that
are with him is Sergeant Bates, who, On
wager of two thousand dollars, carried
the news of Mr. Lincoln's election by pony
express to San Francisco in O given time,
and won the bet Outside Of the ampi-
theater is the camp composed of Sibley
tents, where Colonel Cody has his head
quarters. Here is also located other espec-
ial American features-the log cabin with
dirt roof, where mixed American drinks
are dispensed to drouthy Englishmen.
Under canvas cover popcorn balls are
made and sold as fast as moulded, and the
crowd outlaws loudly at the witticisms of
the faker-the ugliest negro that Buffalo
Bill could find from Maine TO Texas. You
can scarcely edge your way through this
portion of the grounds. 1t beats big
Thursday at county fair, and it is this
way every day in the week. By devious
ways we at last find ourselves in the
exhibition building devoted to machinery
in motion, and manufactures. The build
is immense-too great it appeared to me
for the number of exhibits. One of the
knowing ones told me that were it not for
the Buffalo Bill show, it would be flat
failure. However, there is one part of the
exhibition located in an adjoining set of
apartments to which Bills show adds no
lustre-I refer to the art gallery. All that
money and energy combined with taste
and national pride is here set forth in such
prolixity and with such master pieces by
the genius of our own land, as to invite
unstinted praise. There are dozen large
paintings, Rocky Mountain and California
scenes by Bierstadt, so true to nature as to
leave no room for the imagination to play;
there is battle scene illustrating our late
struggle that takes up nearly the entire side
of one room. There are paintings, crayons
and water colors Of American landscape,
scenery, men and animals which
a regard for your feelings obliges me to
pass over without further specification.
There is one entire room given up to dis
play of American birds and wild animals
in the preparation of which the taxider-
mists have shown unusual skill. l sup
pose there was much more failed to see
Sightseeing is tedious work, and the
cravings of the innman admonished me
that 1t was about time to repair to the de-
pot of the underground railway through
which channel nine tenths of the visitors TO
this delightful resort are borne hither or
homeward.
Col W. F. Cody is certainly, if not the
lion of the day in London-where lions at
this particular time are more numerous
than any spot on earth-the greatest out
side of the royal family. In company with
his amiable daugter he is banqueted and
Toasted daily by the nobility. Henry Irv-
ing, the actor, is big gun here, but the
London society journals are poking fun at
him on the result of little affair at one OF
the parks on last Sunday whittier he had
invited Cody as his guest The moment